The UNC University Library has a wiki page entitled Gifts-in-Kind Acceptance & Rejection Guidelines governing donations that should be useful to the vast majority of libraries.
The basic approach is indicated in the first sentence: “The UNC University Library selectively accepts donations of materials (also known as “gifts-in-kind”) to the general collections. Appropriate gifts must fall within the scope of the Library's current collecting priorities and support the University's teaching and research mission. Subject librarians should decline offers of gifts if they unnecessarily duplicate existing holdings, if the subject matter is outside the scope of our collections, or if there are donor restrictions the Library cannot honor.”
A section entitled Additional Considerations for Accepting Gifts-in-Kind follows:
* ♣ “As a rule, print materials must be:
* ♣ In good physical condition, e.g., book covers intact, quality paper stock
* ♣ Clean/no dirt
* ♣ No brittle, stained, marked, or discolored pages
* ♣ Odor free and not evincing any mildew, mold, fungal or insect infestation
* ♣ Be explicit with donors that the University Library reserves absolute discretion in physical treatment, location, cataloging, terms of use, and retention”.
This wiki page also has the following section on how to handle Gift-in-Kind Donations of Personal Print Subscriptions and then further provide library selections with advice in a section entitled Gifts-in-kind Typically Rejected for the General Collections:
* ♣ Textbooks
* ♣ Manuals and how-to titles
* ♣ Mass market paperbacks
* ♣ Popular/non-academic genres such as cook books
* ♣ Pre-prints of any sort (including galley proofs of books)
* ♣ Pamphlets under 50 pages (unless poetry)
* ♣ Working papers
* ♣ Individual issues of serials (unless they represent missing volumes/issues of a title already in the collections)
* ♣ Print versions of serials if already have in microform or online
* ♣ Reprints or earlier editions of titles already in the collections
* ♣ Following categories because they typically duplicate materials already in the collections:
* ♣ U.S. federal and state government documents
* ♣ U.N. and its related agencies’ publications
* ♣ U.S., U.K., and Canadian university press books
* ♣ English-language academic monographs published in the U.S., U.K., Canada, or Western Europe with an imprint after 1950
* ♣ Major English-language scholarly journals published in the U.S., U.K., Canada, or Western Europe.
* ♣ General collections can only accommodate print books and serials and microforms
* ♣ While atlases pose no problems, consult maps librarian before accepting maps
* ♣ Consult data librarian before accepting data sets and other tangible computer media
* ♣ Consult media resources librarian before accepting any audiovisuals
* ♣ Consult relevant special collections units before accepting materials in unusual formats, e.g., manuscripts, postcards, any type of classroom/teaching materials
This page concludes with the following links to Alternate Donation Options for Rejected Gifts-in-Kind:
* ♣ Suggest other libraries you know of with possible interest
* ♣ PTA Thrift Shop
* ♣ Stanford University Libraries Suggested Sources Accepting Donations<http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/physics/research/donation.html>
* ♣ Better World Books<http://www.betterworldbooks.com/Info-Books-We-Accept-m-11.aspx> will take books from individuals and pay for shipping them
* ♣ Commercial book and serial dealers:
* ♣ Zubal Books<http://www.zubalbooks.com/sell.jsp>
* ♣ Powell's City of Books<http://www.powells.com/sys/obb/customer/main.cgi>
* ♣ BookMooch<http://bookmooch.com/http://www.rbms.info/yob.shtml>
Finally, the UNC Library has another related wiki page entitled “Gifts-in-Kind Handling Procedures<https://intranet.lib.unc.edu/wikis/staff/index.php/Gifts-in-Kind_Handling_Procedures%22%20%5Co%20%22Gifts-in-Kind%20Handling%20Procedures>. to facilitate handling of gifts.
We have found that this comprehensive and explicit approach is the most efficient, effective, and consistent means to deal with gifts.
Luke Swindler
*****************************************************************************
Luke Swindler Collections Management Officer
Davis Library CB #3918 luke_swindler_at_unc.edu<mailto:luke_swindler_at_unc.edu>
University of North Carolina TEL (919-962-1095)
Chapel Hill, NC 27514 USA FAX (919-962-4450)
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On Jan 5, 2016, at 3:29 PM, Anderson, Freya N (EED) <freya.anderson_at_alaska.gov<mailto:freya.anderson_at_alaska.gov>> wrote:
Most libraries have collection development policies that guide which gift items they will add to the collection and which not. For example, we would not add this title, although it sounds lovely, because our collection (and our associated policy) is focused on Alaskana and resources that State of Alaska employees would use in their work. I know that we’re not alone in throwing away or giving away many unsolicited gifts.
My recommendation is not to send the book out unsolicited, but rather to offer the book free of charge through various lists, being sure to include a detailed description. You might also offer the book to lists related to Middle Eastern studies, folklore, or literature, or to any subject specialists in those areas. You can find suggestions of sources for lists on the American Library Association website at http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet03.
Freya
*********
Freya Anderson
Head, Information Services
Alaska State Library
PO Box 110571
Juneau, AK 99801
From: acqnet-request_at_lists.ala.org<mailto:acqnet-request_at_lists.ala.org> [mailto:acqnet-request_at_lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Jesse Lambertson
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2016 11:01 AM
To: melanet-l_at_googlegroups.com<mailto:melanet-l_at_googlegroups.com>
Subject: [ALCTS-acqnet] Sending a Book to Libraries
Hello everyone and Happy New Year!
I have a question about getting a copy of a book into library collections.
This question can be for any library type and I will consider any and all comments.
Context:
The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center<http://sqcc.org/> (An organization in Washington, DC that promotes education on The Sultanate of Oman and the Indian Ocean. We are an educational arm of the Omani embassy) published a collection of Dhofari<https://www.worldcat.org/title/my-grandmothers-stories-folktales-from-dhofar/oclc/812739193> folk tales in translation about 4 years ago and have given it to many libraries across the United States. Some of these libraries added it to their collections even if they did not update their holdings in Worldcat. Some have done both.
It is a quality collection of folktales for which we do not charge. We give it away.
We are pondering, for this Spring, printing it again and sending it out to another round of libraries.
1. By poll, who do you think is the best contact at libraries to send the book along with a letter-of-description in order to increase the odds of it being added to the local collections?
I assume this varies by library type. I am wondering if the best contact is the subject specialist/department in academic/public libraries or technical services...or maybe acquisitions?
Thank you for any assistance as we get this together.
Cheers,
Jesse
--
Jesse A Lambertson
Librarian
Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center<http://www.sqcc.org/>
Ph: (202)-677-3967 Ext. 104<tel:%28202%29-677-3967%20Ext.%20104>
jlambertson_at_sqcc.org<mailto:jlambertson_at_sqcc.org>
عالم الانجازات ينحاز دوماً مع المتفائلين
Received on Tue Jan 05 2016 - 16:41:00 EST